


Baby It's Cold Outside: Cuddling for Warmth with the Arcana Cast

by stormqueen93



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Huddling For Warmth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:28:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25866694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stormqueen93/pseuds/stormqueen93
Summary: A series of arcana fics inspired by the song ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’ Part of my submissions for The Terrifying Ten challenge posted by vesuviannights on Tumblr. Starting out with Asra and Lucio and eventually will cover main six + courtiers!
Relationships: Apprentice/Asra (The Arcana), Apprentice/Lucio (The Arcana), Asra (The Arcana) & Reader, Asra (The Arcana)/You, Lucio (The Arcana)/Reader, Lucio (The Arcana)/You
Kudos: 58





	1. "I really can't stay..." - Asra

It was bitterly cold in Vesuvia. Frost covered cobblestone streets outside the shop, but you didn’t worry- you had long salted the walkway outside the shop and had plenty of coal for the salamander to burn. 

Inside the shop was warm and cozy, a perfect shelter for you, Asra and Faust. As you listened to the winter winds howl and shake the glass windows you thought about the nice pot of tea Asra was making in the kitchen and smiled as you tallied the days earnings. 50 gold coins, not bad for a days work. It was more than enough to pay for the weeks needs, although half of that would have to go towards heating.

With a sigh you put the earnings away in the till before joining Asra in the kitchen.

He smiled warmly when you entered, nodding towards your place at the table.

“Tea’s almost done sweetheart,” he said right before the kettle whistled. 

“Looks like I was right on time,” You giggled as he rushed to grab cups for you both. You got up to help him, but he insisted he could do it himself. 

“Sit down, love, you’ve been at the counter all day. You deserve a break.” Asra reasoned as he poured the tea and set milk and sugar on the table. He carried the cups to the table, putting yours before you before he took a seat across from you, legs crossed. His usual smile was on his face but behind his eyes you could tell something was worrying him.

“Uh-oh,” you said. “I know that face. That’s your ‘Love, I have something to tell you, but you won’t like it’ face. ” You sighed, “Go ahead and spill it.”

Asra smiled apologetically and stretched his hand out into yours. “I have to go out on another journey. Tonight,” he confessed.

“WHAT?!” you seethe, beside yourself with disbelief. “But Asra, honey it’s cold outside. Can’t you just wait? Why do you have to go out at all?” you ask, frustrated. You didn’t like when he would leave and didn’t understand why he chose the coldest night of the year to venture out.

“The sky is clear, the moon is bright enough to light my way,” he explained. The sky always seemed to be the clearest when it was cold. This journey was important: to delay would be to lose time he didn’t have. His amethyst eyes fixed onto yours before he spoke, his decision was final. “I really can’t stay. I’ve got to go away tonight.” 

He repeated it once more while standing at the front door, wrapping his long scarlet scarf tightly around his neck. 

You sighed, finally giving in as you buttoned his coat and pulling him in by his collar for a kiss.There was no arguing with him when he decided to go, but you tried anyway. “Stay warm Asra, and come back soon,” you whisper against his lips.

When he opens the door you get a taste of the cold before it closes again. “Cold!” Faust shivers. You pick her up and she slivers up your sleeve, her head peeking out by your wrist. “Asra, dumb.” she hissed her tongue wriggling out.

“Yeah but we love him anyway,” you grinned, trying to hide your concern for Asra from her. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t stay gone too long.” 

You and Faust sit by the fire for awhile, and eventually you find yourself nodding off to sleep in front of the warm glow of the fireplace. A particularly loud crack of the fire woke you. Uncurling a sleeping Faust from your arm, you place her in her bed before walking upstairs and crawling into yours- it feels bigger than it is now that Asra isn’t with you.You place pillows in the empty space next to, trying to trick your loneliness away before closing your eyes.

Asra braved the bitter cold as he trudged through the moonlit fields. The icy wind penetrated through his coverings like a knife biting into his skin, numbing him. Ice started to form on his white lashes, making it hard to see.

Ahead of him lay the edge of the forest, the trees standing silent in the night and appearing just as frozen as he was feeling. He was shivering, his breath coming in shallow puffs. He needed shelter and he needed it fast, or he’d be in real trouble.

If he continued on, he might make it to Muriel’s hut, but he couldn’t reach it for another hour maybe longer given his sluggish movements. By then, he’d be into the deeper stages of hypothermia, and then he’d have to forgo his journey all together.

“You were right, love. It’s too damn cold. I’m coming home.” he whispered through frosted over lips as he wrapped his arms around himself trying to keep warm as he moved lethargically through the fields and back into the city gates.

Half an hour later he stumbled into the shop, his brown skin stung red by the boreal winds. He didn’t stop to stand by the fire as he peeled off his layers. No, his only thought was getting into bed and snuggling against the warmest thing he knew: you.

Lifting the sheets and pushing your makeshift body pillow aside he slid in next to you. 

“Asra?” You called sleepily, aware of the sudden loss of heat as he removed the sheet.

“I came back. T-Too cold.” he stammered, wrapping his arms around you.

“Ah! Asra you’re freezing!” You yelp as his cold skin makes contact with yours. 

“I know. But you’re not. You’re so warm, love.” He murmured into your neck. “C’mere, let me hold you.” He slid his hands to your front, and you nearly jumped onto the ceiling.

“Asra, don’t!” You yelp. But it was too late, his freezing limbs were already entangling with yours, and trapping you. The more you squirmed and giggled the tighter he held you. Your skin was pleasantly warm against his, and he needed it. Needed you.

“Mmhmm, it’s like I’m embracing the sun,” he whispered as he kissed your shoulders and nuzzled into your neck, his cold skin causing you to shiver. “I’m so tired.”

“You should be, that’s what happens when you’re cold too long. It takes all your enegy. I’m surprised it took you so long to turn around.” you chide.

Asra chuckles, and you can feel the weak rumbling against your back as he squeezes you. “I’m so tired.” He murmured as he pulled the covers over your heads. The two of you create a cocoon of warmth and it doesn’t take long before you hear the quiet, even breathing of the sleeping magician. You smile, thanking father winter for keeping your lover by your side - even if it’s just for tonight.


	2. "Baby you'll freeze out there!" - Lucio

You’ve been trudging through the snow with Lucio for what seems like hours. The count insisted you come along on this hunt - although he wouldn’t elaborate why or why you two were going alone.

He only said that he required magical assistance, and demanded your presence. So far, however, the only magic you’ve performed is keeping sane while Lucio dragged you through the frozen forest, listening as he went on and on recounting his best hunts.

Your fur coat weighed heavily on your shoulders, the muscles in your body aching from cold and fatigue.

It was a welcome respite when Lucio silenced, signaling you to stay motionless as he found the set of tracks he was looking for.

They were strange tracks, obviously some type of hoof but larger than a horse’s or a moose. The creature had to be enormous, the spacing between each hoof print was at least eight or nine feet.

“Look at this.” Lucio whispers as he points out silvery strands of hair, smooth and shining against the snow covered pine branch.

He picks up a hair and hands it to you, the strand as delicate as a spider’s web.

“Lucio is this -”

“Shh! Look there!”

Following the direction of his hand, you see something curious.

In the east, the tree branches moved as if being blown by the wind. But the air was still. Some force was moving the branches out of the way and pushing deeper into the forest.

“Follow me and stay close.”

Lucio reaches out for your hand and you take it, keeping close behind him as you move silently through the forest, following more of the strange tracks.

Through the open branches you go as they closed behind you. There was magic here, ancient and strong as the subtle traces of its existence was brought into your awareness and you wondered just what sort of beast the Count hunted.

Up ahead there’s a final movement of the branches and what they reveal is breathtaking.

A frozen lake, surrounded by fresh unbroken snow that shimmers in the sunlight. Icicles in pinks and blues and icy whites, seem to hang from every branch, shining like precious gems.

“Beautiful,” you gasp, finally finding the words to speak to express the natural beauty of the sight before you.

It seems to have completely missed Lucio, his predatory gaze still scanning the horizon for signs of his prey.

“It’s gotta be here. This is the place. It matches the story exactly.” Lucio murmurs, pushing away his frustration to calm himself for the task at hand.

“What story? Lucio, what are you looking for?” you questioned, the sound of your voice echoing across the clearing.

He begins to answer when a chilling breeze blows through. Icicles begin to tingle and chime around you, the sound almost like a music box as a cloud of snow is blown up from the wind.

When it settles it reveals a huge stag at least ten feet tall, larger than any creature you’ve seen in Vesuvia. It’s silvery white fur glistens, untouched by the snow. as it studies you and Lucio. Your gaze is locked into it’s opalescent jade green eyes. You know of this creature.The White Stag, legendary guardian of the forest.

It didn’t occur to you that this was the beast Lucio was hunting until you hear the hitch of the arrow in Lucio’s cross bow as he raises it, aiming for the stag.

“No don’t!” you scream, knocking away the crossbow as he shoots, the arrow just missing its target as it glances off the Stag’s shoulder.

The stag’s eyes glow an eerie vengeful green and it lets out a thunderous and ear-splitting roar.

“RUN! Run, you idiot!” you scream.

You can’t go back the way you came, the briar branches tightly blockade your exit, so you run west, toward the trees, the ground shaking as the guardian chases you, its steps thundering behind you.

“Shitshitshit shitshit!” Lucio curses as overtakes you, grabbing your hand as he guides you, searching for a place to hide.

He slips, pulling you with him as you both slide down a rocky cliff, screaming.

You slide into the the icy mouth of a cave, not caring where it goes or what’s inside. Just knowing that you have to get away from the angry spirit.

The cave is somehow seems even colder than it is inside. hopefully the beast won’t follow since you’ve retreated out of its territory, and Lucio’s bow was trampled underfoot by the beast as it chased you.

“You’re such a fool! I can’t believe you would do such a thing!”

“What! I thought you’d like it if I caught the white stag! You’d see the legend was true, I’d get my wish and-”

“You don’t get the wish by shooting at it! Noli me tangere! Don’t touch me! didn’t you read the scroll?!”

“I skimmed it.” Lucio said, his eyes shifting side to side as you crossed your arms in annoyance. “What it was long okay! And it had a lot of words I didn’t understand! I tried to ask val for help but he told me no.”

“I’ll have no part in your nonsense!, he said.”

“Please don’t be mad! I wanted this to be fun!”

“Sure lucio! Freezing to death while hiding from an angry forest spirit is *super* fun.”

(He wished for time alone with you hint hint)

You’ve got to go apologize to the stag, make an offering to the forest and hopefully remove it’s wrath. “I’m always cleaning up your messes Lucio!”

“What mess?! It was just a little oopsie, I didn’t think I’d upset some ancient forest spirit.”

“And that’s the problem, you didn’t think.”

A storm continued to howl outside, winds whipping against the cavern. You put up a shield at the entrance to stop the strongest of them from freezing you to death.

“Make a fire. I’ll be back.”

“Wait I should go with you!”

“You’ve done enough!”

Lucio begs you to stay inside but you leave anyway, not wanting to spend another minute with Lucio. He’d been so stupid and selfish, and now if you couldn’t appease the spirit, you both were going to die.

“Baby, you’ll freeze out there!”

“I am *not* your baby, Lucio. And I’ll be just fine.”

“Alright, sorry for calling you ‘baby’, I like to think about the future.”

You roll your eyes hard, and make for the entrance, wrapping yourself up tight to protect yourself from the whirlwind outside.

You hate to admit that he was right. You were up to your knees in snow, your entire body numb with cold as you tried to find the proper ingredients for the ritual you needed to perform:

Mistletoe, mint sprig, pine branch.

You could hardly see from the snow and ice forming on your eyelashes, your hands shaking as you fumble to collect what you need.

Determined to move on, you make a circle, dropping to your knees to prepare the offering.

Your voice is weak and shaking as you try to recite the words. Things get fuzzy and black as you pass out, hearing the sound of snow crunching behind you.

You wake up to warm arms, as the heat of a fire licks against your face as you unconsciously nuzzle into soft white fur. For a moment you think it is the Stag, that is until you hear Lucio chuckle and you abruptly push away from his arms.

“How did you find me?”

“Easy,” Lucio shrugged. “I just followed the sound of chattering teeth.”

A heavy silence falls when you don’t laugh at his joke.

“Come on, if I can track down a mythical beast, I can find you in the snow.”

You couldn’t argue with that logic. He had followed the subtlest signs and found the Stag, it was probably nothing for him to follow you.

“You know you said my name right? When you were sleeping.”

“So what?! I was probably still cursing you for putting us in this predicament.”

Your words are harsh but your cheeks are flushed red with embarrassment. His body was very warm, and it felt extremely good to be wrapped in his arms.

“That’s not what it sounded like to me. Sounds like you were moaning ‘Oh Lucio, you feel so good…’ That’s some curse alright.”

“Look, here pretty boy -”

“You called me pretty boy.” Lucio smiled.

“It was just an expression.”

“An expression of love.”

“Please I don’t even like you." 

"Ridiculous, everyone loves me.”

“Yeah okay, sure." You reply, rolling your eyes and turning away from him.

You try to get up but Lucio pulls you back in.

"Don’t even think about it. You’re still frozen, and I’m cold too. So sit tight. No moving until it’s safe to leave.”

You huff, but obey. unconsciously relaxing into his arms as he cuddles against you.

“You’re so warm.”

“I thought you said I was freezing.” You quip, as you pull his cloak tight over you as you stare into the fire.

“So what did you wish for?”

“what?”

“When you saw the stag.” you repeat, turning your head to stare up into him. “What did you wish for?”

“Does it matter?”

“I almost died for a wish, I should get to know what it was.”

“ I suppose that’s fair.” He shifts uncomfortably, and for a moment you think it was something stupid like jewels or riches or some other luxury he didn’t need and you’re sharpening your tongue ready to cut him down when

“ I wished that you’d go out with me.”

Surprised, you laugh. stopping when you saw he wasn’t joking

“Oh you were serious…”

“Yes. I just *sigh* I just wanted to take you out on a date, and for you to say yes.”

“You did all this so we could go out?! Why didn’t you ask me like a normal person?!”

“Because you’re not a normal person!” He cried, turning his face away. “You’re funny, and cute, and magic and I’m just an idiot who screws things up. I couldn’t even make a wish right!”

You press your lips into a firm line as you think.

“You brought me with you because you wanted to make sure the wish worked?”

“Yes, I’m sorry. I’m an idiot. I should have known it wouldn’t work out”

“It worked.You got your wish.”

“What?!”

“I’ll go out with you.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“Wonderful!” Lucio peppers your face with kisses before his lips press against yours, and the coldness is forgotten for a moment as you laugh, wondering what sort of shenanigans you just signed up for.


End file.
